Sound of Metal Page #18

---

(rolls down sleeve)

I’ve been thinking... we’re theirancestors. If they destroy us,

won’t that destroy them?

NEIL:

Bringing us to the grandfatherparadox.

PROTAGONIST:

The what?

NEIL:

The classic thought experiment – ifyou went back in time and killed

your own grandfather, how could youhave been born to commit the act?

PROTAGONIST:

What’s the answer?

NEIL:

There is no answer, it’s a paradox.

But in the future, those in powerclearly believe that you can kickGrandpa down the stairs, gouge his

eyes and slit his throat without

consequence.

PROTAGONIST:

Could they be right?

102.

NEIL:

It doesn’t matter. They believe it,

so they’re willing to destroy us.

Can I go back to sleep?

PROTAGONIST:

No. I thought of something else.

NEIL:

Great.

PROTAGONIST:

This reversing the flow of time...

doesn’t us being here now mean it

never happens? That we stop them?

NEIL:

Optimistically, I’d say that’sright.

PROTAGONIST:

Pessimistically?

NEIL:

In a parallel-worlds theory, wecan’t know the relationship betweenconsciousness and multiplerealities. Does your head hurt yet?

PROTAGONIST:

Yes.

NEIL:

Try sleep.

INT. SAME – LATER

A final THUD, then STILLNESS. The Protagonist moves to thepeephole, unplugs it and peers out:

The WRECKED PLANE, FLOODLIT, sitting outside the COLLAPSEDWALL which has been sealed with STEEL FENCING.

PROTAGONIST:

Sh*t. They didn’t take us inside.

NEIL:

What do we do?

PROTAGONIST:

We use the breach. The chaos rightafter impact. Get ready.

They both turn to look at the unconscious Kat.

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

Is she healed enough?

103.

NEIL:

I don’t know. I’ve never done this

before.

INT. SAME – NIGHT

The Protagonist is at the peephole – the ground is WET. CLEANUP

CREWS and INVESTIGATORS swarm backwards over the scene.

SIRENS start... Water FLOWS UP ONTO THE PLANE’S WINGS. FIRE

CREWS ‘unpack’ their equipment around the wreck...

PROTAGONIST:

Fire crew’s there...

The Protagonist WINCES as he pulls his arm into its sleeve...

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

We get Kat through the breach, Itake care of Sator’s man and secure

the vault. Then you bring her in.

NEIL:

How’s the arm?

PROTAGONIST:

Not good.

The Protagonist spots a HOLE in the fabric of his black suit

– directly over the lesion on his arm...

Neil straps a respirator to the gurney – puts the mask overKat’s face, then puts another on himself. He gives Kat asedative.

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

We move the second we hear the

engines.

Neil looks at Kat, unconscious on the gurney. He TIGHTENS thestraps – throws a reflective blanket over her...

The SIRENS are DEAFENING – the Protagonist flexes his arm,

clearly in a lot of pain. Neil spots BLOOD dripping from theProtagonist’s wrist –

NEIL:

You’re bleeding. Let me take a look

–

SUDDENLY THEY HEAR THE BUILDING WHINE OF JET ENGINES. The

Protagonist YANKS up the handle, THROWS OPEN THE DOOR –

104.

EXT. APRON, OSLO AIRPORT – CONTINUOUS

Onto PANDEMONIUM – FIRE CREWS BATTLE the blaze, chunks of

metal on the ground IGNITE, SHUDDER and LEAP ONTO THEAIRFRAME... STREAMS of water RISE up onto the plane –

The Protagonist HURRIES BACKWARDS, PULLING THE GURNEY towardsthe plane, steering around debris that might suddenly –

A SHEET OF FLAMING METAL SPINS off the ground, shearing intothem, KNOCKING the GURNEY – they duck, HOLDING ON TO THEGURNEY, the metal FLIES into the air, SLAMS into its hole on

the side of the plane... the Protagonist spots a line underthe fuselage, between flames, towards the breach...

PROTAGONIST:

Come on!

Neil looks up as BLACK SMOKE GATHERS, FORMING A MASSIVE CLOUDOVER THE PLANE... a SHOCK WAVE starts to BUILD in the air

around them – the Protagonist PULLS Kat and Neil under thefuselage as CURTAINS of FIRE start GATHERING around thewings, CENTRED on a HALF-DESTROYED JET ENGINE –

They pass through the hole in the wall LICKED AT BY FLAMESWHICH LEAVE FROST ON THEIR CLOTHES –

As they clear into the building, DEBRIS in front of themstart SHAKING – they DUCK as the MASSIVE BUILD OF ENERGYCLIMAXES in a CACOPHONOUS REVERSE EXPLOSION as THE JET ENGINE

REASSEMBLES – LOOSELY ATTACHED TO THE WING, THRUSTING –

INT./EXT. FREEPORT SHIPPING AREA – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist draws his gun – turns to Neil –

PROTAGONIST:

I’m going in. Wait here.

The Protagonist turns, rushing up onto the loading dock –

The LOOSE JET ENGINE, under FULL THRUST, ATTACHED to the

wing, SWINGS BACK AND FORTH, wreaking REVERSE HAVOC...

The Protagonist pauses, LISTENING – he can hear BACKWARDSVOICES on the other side of a ROLLER DOOR – the loose jetengine TURNS, BLASTING AIR at the Protagonist with itsINVERTED THRUST – the Protagonist is SMASHED through thebottom of the roller door –

105.

INT. VAULT, FREEPORT – CONTINUOUS

INTO HIMSELF AND NEIL, DRESSED AS BUSINESSMEN AS IN THEIR

EARLIER VISIT TO THE ROTAS VAULT – the Protagonist (wearingblack clothes and gas mask) TACKLES the EARLIER PROTAGONIST(wearing business suit), the Earlier Protagonist THROWS theProtagonist onto the ground, getting his gun –

SHOUTING at him INCOMPREHENSIBLY – KICKING his INJURED ARM

AGAIN AND AGAIN – the Protagonist SCREAMS... The EarlierProtagonist puts his GUN TO THE PROTAGONIST’S HEAD... EARLIERNEIL GRABS HIS ARM, RESTRAINING him...

The Protagonist and Earlier Protagonist STRUGGLE, ROLLINGacross the floor with the unique physics of forward actionmerged with backwards action...

They STRUGGLE through the BLUE DOOR of the Rotas vault. TheProtagonist gets his gun – the Earlier Protagonist STABS himin the arm with his lockpick – ‘HEALING’ his wound –

ENERGIZING him –

He FLIPS the Earlier Protagonist up against the glass, LIFTShis gun – SHOOTS past the Earlier Protagonist’s head, puttinga BULLET HOLE through the glass –

Glancing at the OPEN TURNSTILE DOOR, the Protagonist FIRESagain, forcing the Earlier Protagonist TOWARDS the door... helooks through the proving window – no one there...

PROTAGONIST:

Come on, come on...

The Protagonist FIRES AGAIN AND AGAIN, forcing the EarlierProtagonist closer and closer to the open turnstile...

The Earlier Protagonist takes hold of the gun – the barrelcoming around onto the Protagonist who instinctively EJECTSthe magazine, REMOVES the SLIDE, tossing it aside, leavingthe Earlier Protagonist with a useless STRIPPED AUTOMATIC –

Earlier Neil RACES backwards into the other half of the room

– Through the bullet-riddled glass the Protagonist seesHIMSELF (GAS MASK, BLACK CLOTHES) RUN BACKWARDS into the room

–

The Protagonist LEAPS INTO THE TURNSTILE – we FOLLOW theProtagonist through the machine – BURSTING OUT on the otherside – straight into Earlier Neil, who now MOVES FORWARDS asthe Protagonist PUSHES past –

As the confrontation on the other side of the glass plays outagain, FORWARDS... the Protagonist RACES for the RED DOOR,

Neil in PURSUIT –

106.

INT. VAULT CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist runs, pursued by Earlier Neil, skiddingaround the corners of the vault corridor –

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes